Death penalty case update

Cannon fire will permeate the air over the PARC museum campus this weekend as forces from the Union and Confederate armies collide on the open fields.

The Clinton County Historical Association will host the third-annual Plattsburgh Civil War Encampment, with two battles between the Blue and Gray scheduled for today and another slated for Sunday.

Another new feature this year will be the court-martial of a Union soldier between today’s battles. Hewson said he did not know how that trial may turn out, but soldiers were often executed for betraying their colors during battle.

The death of Private John Summers, Co. E, 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was the result of one of two public military executions in Fort Scott during the Civil War. Both of these executions were in May of 1863 and were very deliberately public in nature. Summer’s crime, for which he was convicted by a General Court Martial, was DESERTION! He didn’t desert from the Union army just once! He did it THREE times after which he was caught and brought to Fort Scott for his trial. How was this possible? Not only was Pvt. Summers a deserter he was also a "BOUNTY JUMPER!"